Alexander Solzhenitsyn, RIP

The death of Alexander Solzhenitsyn in Moscow tonight at age 89 brings an end to the most dramatic literary career of our time. How thrilling it was to read his words in the pages of the New York Times when events compelled him to authorize the publication of The Gulag Archipelago at risk to life and limb in 1974. The work survives as his indelible testament, a book that helped change the course of history. He was a writer of incredible bravery, spirit and determination. RIP.